More than a Friend
by Lukeprism
Summary: Kanou/Mihashi - an exploration of the beginning and progression of their relationship. Now rated M! Ch. 4 to finally finish it off.
1. First Base: Movie and a Kiss

_**A/N: Holy crap, another KanouMiha fic? Woah. And this time it's a fourshot! Yeah, the plot of this fic will basically revolve around bases; first, second, third, and finally back to home. I thought it was fitting xD This is supposed to take place right after my other Kanou/Mihashi fic, My Bad, but you don't need to read it to understand this one. And before I forget to mention it, this fiction's rating will go up. Each chapter will get more explicit than the last until the final 'home run' chapter. Can you guess what that one's gonna have? Yes, you're right; lemon. (Though I've never written anything even remotely sexual... better get practicing"")**_

Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup! belongs to Asa Higuchi, not me.

—**s—t—a—r—t—****f****—****i****—c—t—i —o—n—**

_First Base: Movie and a Kiss_

Kanou flopped onto the white couch with a contentedly refreshed sigh. The sandy brunette who was sitting on the other side jumped at the sudden movement but quickly recollected himself, smiling at the other boy a bit shyly. "Haah... There's nothing like a shower when you're all dirty. You feel so good afterwards! ...well, I do, at least." Kanou turned his head to face Mihashi, who had returned to watching the television that sat a couple of meters in front of them. "Thanks for letting me use your shower, by the way, Ren."

Mihashi froze for a split second before facing Kanou in return, a horrified expression on his face. "O-of course!" he nearly shouted, adopting that adorable bird-esque expression* he wore whenever he was shocked or surprised. "There's no need to thank me for something like that..." he trailed off, looking down at his fiddling hands.

Kanou laughed; _Ren gets worked up over the silliest things._ Though it was a little annoying at times, the dark-haired boy sill found it to be rather cute. He promptly put an arm around Mihashi in a quick hug. "I know, but it's only polite to say thanks anyway!" he chuckled.

Mihashi flushed. The boy didn't really understand why, but whenever Kanou touched him, his skin tingled and his stomach was invaded by butterflies. And it was embarrassing; Mihashi had never felt anything like it before, with anyone else. It made it hard to talk to the other boy, but at the same time it made him crave his presence and touch even more.

A _DING_! and vibrate combo made the sandy brunette jump, much to Kanou's poorly-masked amusement. He removed his arm from the shorter boy's shoulders as Mihashi reached into his pocket to check his mail.

"Hey, it's my mom! She said she'd be more than happy if you stayed for dinner, even though... oh, right, she's working late tonight, duh!" Mihashi read aloud, mentally facepalming for forgetting that his mother had already made him dinner. "But she says you're free to stay, since you came all the way from Gunma, as long as it's okay with your mom."

Kanou sat back with his hands behind his head non-chalantly. "Okay, awesome. My mom doesn't care," he said, looking at the TV once again. "Wait, hold on," he started again after a few seconds pause. "The news? Really?" Mihashi's face reddened again as the dark-haired boy reached for the remote lying in between them. "There's gotta be something better on right now..." he muttered as he clicked through the channels. Mihashi watched as the channel changed, from what looked like a soap opera to a crime show and so on. At one point they reached Mihashi's favorite channel, the Food channel, but Kanou flipped right past it.

"Oh, here we go!" Kanou exclaimed as he stopped on a channel boasting a couple of men gathered in what appeared to be an alley in a big city somewhere. "I love this movie! Have you ever seen it?" he asked, looking toward Mihashi, who shook his head a little and looked away quickly. _Even when he so much as looks at me, I get those flutters in my stomach! What's wrong with me?_

"_What_? Seriously?" Kanou gasped, genuinely shocked. He loved watching movies; hell, he had a huge stack of his favorite DVDs in his room back at home. "You have to see it, it's so good, man," he urged, looking back at the screen. "It was made by one of my favorite directors... hey, you don't happen to have any popcorn, do you?" he asked, not taking his eyes away from the TV.

Mihashi thought for a second. "Uhm... I think we might. I'll go check!" he said as he rose from his spot on the couch and made his way to the kitchen.

Opening the pantry door, he looked around utility he saw a box of microwave popcorn in the back. Thankfully, it was the last package they had; Mihashi threw the box away before putting the popcorn back into the microwave for a minute and twenty seconds. No sooner had he pressed the 'Start' button before he heard a few gunshots pierce through the air. The poor boy went into his speechless panic mode for a second before he realized it had come form the movie. "Hah! Take that, you asshole!" he heard Kanou say, apparently happy with the movie's progression. Fortunately, there were no further gunshots or the like before the microwave beeped, signaling the popcorn's state of being fully prepared and ready to eat. Mihashi took it out and poured it into a big bowl before heading back into the living room once again. On a whim, he decided to sit closer to the other boy than he had been before, so that they were only a few centimeters apart. If Kanou noticed, he sure didn't show it.

"Aw, yes! Thanks man," Kanou said, flashing the shorter boy a quick grin. Mihashi merely blushed and grunted in return as Kanou grabbed a handful of popcorn and popped a few pieces into his mouth, crunching softly as he resumed his watching of the movie. Mihashi did the same, trying his best to ignore their proximity and focus on the film.

Thirty minutes later, Mihashi found that he was unable to do so. Kanou had taken the liberty of filling him in on the backstory: this group of guys were undercover cops investigating the criminal activity of a certain big gang that was notorious for killing and stealing things. But all of the member they were able to track down and corner committed suicide before the cops could take them into custody... or something. Admittedly, Mihashi had the attention span of a squirrel, and he didn't even really like to watch movies anyway, much less ones with heavy plot and gangs and cops and whatnot. His brain couldn't keep up with it all, so he gave up and slouched back into the sofa. In the process of doing so, his shoulder just so happened to touch Kanou's. Blushing, Mihashi waited for Kanou to glance at him or pull away, but the other boy never did. So, considering it a little personal victory, Mihashi enjoyed the tingle he felt at the small contact as the movie droned on. A few minutes later, he accidentally let out a yawn.

Kanou managed to unglue his eyes from the screen as he looked down at the sandy-haired boy. "You're tired?" he asked, before he noticed the blank expression Mihashi had tried to cover up. "Oh, I see, you're bored," he realized, much to Mihashi's embarrassed shock. The dark-haired boy put his arm around Mihashi once more. "Sorry. I guess that's what I get for being selfish, huh?" he chuckled in that way one does when one knows that they've done something wrong.

"N-no, I-it's okay, really," Mihashi cried, waving his arms around and shaking his head vehemently. "I just don't really get the p-plot, that's all! You like the movie, so we'll watch it," he said, looking at the screen again as if to solidify his statement.

Kanou continued to look at Mihashi for a few more seconds before smiling. The perceptive observer would also have noticed the very light blush forming on his cheeks. "If you say so. Thanks," he said, looking back at the screen again as well.

A few minutes passed. Mihashi still wasn't paying attention very well due to Kanou's arm lying atop his shoulders, but he could tell by the way Kanou kept glancing over in his direction that he wasn't as raptly focused as before either. The shorter of the two was inwardly panicked. _Oh, no! What if he's so worried about me that he can't concentrate on the movie anymore?_

"Uh... S-Shuugo, is everything okay?" Mihashi found himself asking rather worriedly. Kanou seemed a bit taken aback by the question, but quickly slapped on a smile.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, I'm fine," he answered, looking back at the TV quickly. Mihashi may not have been the sharpest tool in the shed, but even he could tell that something was on the other boy's mind. But he chose not to say anything; if Kanou didn't want to tell Mihashi what was wrong, it was none of his business to ask.

As if he'd read Mihashi's mind, Kanou sighed and leaned back a little. "Ren," he began, his voice low. Mihashi swallowed audibly. "You know, I... I really... Erm, that is to say..." Kanou was having trouble articulating what he was trying to say, which was a first for the bewildered Mihashi. The smaller boy's conscience was running frantic laps around his brain. _Oh, great! I must've done something to upset him! Ah! Maybe he's just been leading me on this whole time, and he's going to yell at me for all the games I lost us back middle school! He really does hate me, doesn't he?_ His conscience screamed inside his head. Mihashi desperately prayed that this want true; he didn't know if he could handle a rejection from the dark-haired boy.

Kanou cleared his throat with a chuckle. "Man, this is a lot harder than I thought it'd be..." he said, glancing up at the ceiling. "Let me try this again. Ren," he said, turning back to Mihashi, meeting his eyes with a look of determination that Mihashi had only seen a couple of times before, a look that hypnotized the sandy brunette. Kanou took a deep breath. "Ren, I like you."

Huh? Though Mihashi was happy that he wasn't being yelled at or shunned, he didn't understand why that was such a hard thing to say. "W-well, thanks, Shuugo, I-I like you too, we're friends..." Mihashi said, tilting his head ever-so-slightly, a bit confused.

Kanou looked shocked for a moment before he closed his eyes and shook his head, smiling. "No, Ren. I mean, I really like you. As more than a friend."

Mihashi's brain pretty much melted down right there. Kanou... _liked_ him? _As more than a friend_? The dark-haired boy's words echoed in his mind as he struggled to form a coherent response. All things considered, Mihashi was ecstatic; he realized that all the butterflies in his stomach and the tingling whenever they touched was something akin to a crush, but he didn't know how to inform Kanou of all this.

Kanou misinterpreted Mihashi's stunned silence. He laughed nervously, trying to shrug off his obvious hurt and failing miserably. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that," he said, looking down to attempt to mask his disappointment.

Mihashi mentally gasped. _Ah! No! Tell him how you feel in return, Ren, before it's too late and he starts to hate you!_ His body stiffened and he raised his head, nearly bumping their noggins together. "N-no! T-that's not I-it at all!" he pretty much shouted it, meeting the dark-haired boy's shocked gaze fiercely. "I... I l-like you too, Shuugo!"

For a moment, the only sounds in the room were the noises the movie was making and the steady inhaling and exhaling of each boy's breath. Kanou's eyes were wide for what felt like minutes before they finally returned to their normal size and he smiled. "Well, of course, Ren. We're friends," he retorted playfully.

Mihashi may have blushed, but he didn't make to move or look away. "As more than... a f-friend..." he mumbled softly.

The taller boy chuckled, and the sound was loud, reminding Mihashi of just how close they were to each other, which only served to make him blush that much harder. "Is that so?" he asked slyly. "Well then, you wouldn't mind if I did this..." he trailed off, as he leaned in, hot breath from his lips ghosting over the sandy brunette's own and taunting him agonizingly before he let them fully decent and press themselves against Mihashi's firmly.

Mihashi could only describe the feeling that followed as _fucking incredible_, for his vocabulary was nowhere near large enough to describe the way his brain seemed to melt or how Kanou's lips felt against his own, wiggling around a little bit until they found the perfect way to press up to his, obtaining maximum pleasure for the both of them. Instinctively, Mihashi pushed himself up to Kanou, willing himself to get as close to the other boy as physically possible and feel his chest sear as they collided softly with a muffled _WHUMP_. Kanou made a little noise in the back of his throat as he pushed back gently, tilting Mihashi's head back to establish his dominance and wrapping his arms around him protectively. Though that was as far as either of them dared to go, it was simply exhilarating.

After what the sandy brunette felt was ages, they both simultaneously pulled away, each of their faces red (though Mihashi's shade beat Kanou's threefold; that was his first kiss, after all). Both their mouths flapped open and closed for a minute, each trying to come up with something to say before they both kist gave up and slouched into each other, Mihashi leaning into Kanou's chest as the dark-haired boy's arms tightened around him. They found that they didn't need to say anything more; one could tell by the way they laid on each other with that gleaming, faraway look in their eyes that they cared deeply for one another. Both boys turned their heads back to the movie, where the surviving protagonists were engaged in a heart-pounding chase down of the gang leader.

Neither of them was really able to pay attention after that, though.

—**e—n—d—****c****—****h****—****a****—****p****—****t****—****e****—****r****—**

_**A/N: They have popcorn in Japan, right? If they didn't, that would be one saaad little country :( So was this chapter okay? I hope it was "**_

*You guys know what I mean by that, right? The diamond mouth, wide-eyed birdie face he makes _**every fifteen seconds? Yeah, that one. **__**（＾◇＾）**__****_

I would be honored if you'd be so kind as to review! Thanks for reading, and until the next installment, adieu!


	2. Second Base: Once more, with feeling

_**A/N:**__**（＾◇＾）**__**Hey guys! Back with the next chapter! No need to worry: it hasn't gotten mature enough for the M rating... Yet. :B Anyway, on with the show.**_

Asa Higuchi owns this wonderful franchise, Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup!, not me.

—**s—t—a—r—t—****c**—**h**—a**—****p****—****t**** —****e****—****r****—**  
_Second Base: Once more, with feeling_

_DING DONG~_

Mrs. Mihashi looked up from her cooking at the doorbell going off. She ceased humming the idle little rude she'd been humming and smiled. "Oh my, it looks like he's here!" she said aloud to herself as she wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing and started to walk toward the front door. Through the screen, she could see the silhouette of a teen about her height standing there patiently. When she opened the door, she found she was correct in assuming it was Kanou; the boy smiled at her politely.

"Hello, Mrs. Mihashi," he said pleasantly as she slid the door open with a smile of her own. He was wearing a baggy green and white striped shirt with khaki shorts that came down to right above his knees. His hair looked the same as ever, maybe slightly longer, and his feet were in some snazzy black converse. He held out a bouquet of a few nice-smelling flowers. "Here, my mom told me to bring you these as a thank-you for that curry recipe you gave us the other day," he said as Mrs. Mihashi gasped with a hand over her mouth in happy surprise.

"Oh my goodness, they're so pretty!" she exclaimed, taking them from him carefully and holding them up to her nose to sniff. "Mmm, they smell absolutely wonderful, too! Be sure to tell your mother thank you for me! Now, come in, come in," she chattered, ushering the boy inside without another word and sliding the door shut again. "Dinner should be ready in a little while, dear, and Ren's upstairs in his room," she said, walking back into the kitchen while Kanou slipped his shoes off.

"Okay, thank you!" he responded as he walked toward the stairs, ascending them as quickly as he could without making any loud noises. He passed by the bathroom and the spare bedroom before he came to the door at the end of the hall that was shut. Kanou could hear faint noises and muffled shouting coming from inside as he approached it. He smiled and knocked three times, two softer ones and one loud one, to let Mihashi know that it was him who was about to come in. He waited a few seconds before he opened the door.

Mihashi's room looked the same as ever; an unkempt bed lay to one side of the room while much of the floor was covered with discarded clothes. That was the only unorganized thing about it, though. The books on his desk and bookshelf were all stacked neatly and even alphabetized, and his dresser was nice and uncluttered. Even his closet was open and clean, with extra blankets and futons folded away neatly and a few old board games rather dusty but stacked uniformly. The occupant of the room was currently sitting on the floor a meter or so in front of his small personal TV he used to play video games, playing Marvel vs. Capcom 2 with a few game cases lying strewn around beside him.

Mihashi paused the game as soon as the door opened so he could look up at the taller boy and smile that wobbly smile of his, although it had gotten a lot better lately. Kanou couldn't help but smile back at him in return; he found the sandy brunette's rather weird facial expressions endearing.

"Hey Shuu," he greeted Kanou, with much of his usual stuttering noticeably absent. Kanou was both shocked and pleased at Mihashi's gradual relaxation around him; it had happened a whole lot quicker than he thought it would have. "Sorry my room's a mess. I meant to clean it, really I did, but then I started playing..." he trailed off, looking back down at his crossed legs guiltily.

Kanou merely laughed as he made his way over to Mihashi and plopped himself down beside him. "Don't worry about it, man, it's fine," he waved it off, crossing his legs to match the other boy's. "It's not like it really matters all that much anyway, so no harm done."

Mihashi returned his gaze to Kanou's face, a dopey grin gracing his lips. He was such a nice guy; too nice to the sandy-haired boy in his own opinion. Everyday he thanked whoever sat up there in the sky watching over them for having them meet that day, years ago. He grabbed the controller he had sitting idly next to him and held it out toward Kanou. "Want to play?" he offered.

Kanou's smile turned challenging. "Hell yeah, man, let's go," he declared, taking the controller and setting his fingers up correctly while Mihashi exited the fight he'd been in and switched to multiplayer mode. Kanou didn't actually like video games all that much, but this one wasn't all that bad and Mihashi loved to play it, so he always humored him for at least a couple of rounds. The smaller boy most always won, but last time they had played Kanou had won a couple of rounds, and his competitive side was eager to see if he could do it again.

Kanou picked Ryu while Mihashi chose Captain America; each boy's favorite character respectively. As soon as the round began they were mashing buttons fiercely, punching and kicking in rapid succession. Eventually, each of them won one round, after both of which they chuckled and taunted each other playfully. "That was a cheap shot!" "It was only a crappy dodge on your part, man." "Hah, take that, bas- Awh, _what?_!" "Never let your guard down, Shuu!" Mihashi ended up winning on account of Kanou sneezing at the wrong moment, something that the two laughed over for a couple minutes afterwards.

They played several more matches like that, Mihashi winning all but the second to last one. It caused Kanou to become quite cocky and over-confident, and the sandy brunette used this to his advantage; he pretty much raped the taller boy in the last match, successfully souring his mood and causing him to give up, mock-pouting. He couldn't stay pissed for long though, and Mihashi had him laughing not a minute later.

After playing one solo match on his own with Kanou watching, he set the controller down with the console and TV left on. This served as something to fall back on in case Mihashi's mom were to come in abruptly during their little 'visit'. He turned to Kanou, slightly blushing. "Shuu, d-do you want to...?" he asked, his stutter returning, though it was understandable; the boy was nervous, albeit way less so than he had been a little more than a month ago when they'd started this little ritual of theirs.

Kanou chuckled; he'd been waiting for this. He uncrossed his legs and scooted closer to the shorter boy. "Ren, you don't need to ask every time," he muttered before taking Mihashi's mouth up with his own.

It started out as a regular kiss, with both boys locking their closed lips together and pushing them into each other's slowly. They wrapped their arms around one another, Kanou around the sandy-haired boy's waist and Mihashi circling the other's neck, pressing their bodies together greedily. The smaller of the two let his head be guided back, content for the time being with being passive and letting Kanou have his way.

Then things began to heat up. The dark-haired boy used one of his hands to gently lift the back of Mihashi's white shirt up, the tips of his fingers brushing against his skin so softly it caused the sandy brunette to gasp into the kiss. Kanou took advantage of this and plunged his tongue into the shorter boy's mouth, rubbing it against his palate and earning a soft moan from him. His hands crawled up his back slowly and curiously. They left a trail of fire on his skin wherever they touched, causing Mihashi to shiver with pleasure and want. He struggled to keep from fainting in delight as Kanou's hands continued their journey and his mouth was assaulted.

It took Mihashi almost a full minute to realize he wasn't moving or doing anything for Kanou at all. _Ren, do something. If he can make you feel this good, you can do the same for him!_ He took one arm down from his neck and placed it on his side, at the hem of the taller boy's shirt. Moving as slowly as Kanou had, he reached his hand up his body, his hand slowly coming over to the stomach. The dark-haired boy gasped just as Mihashi himself had done earlier, and the sandy-haired boy found his opportunity. Grinning into the kiss, he broke it for a second to allow them both to inhale deeply before he brought his mouth back forcefully, pushing Kanou's head back now and exploring the inside of his mouth hungrily. Both their hands had paused to idly rub the other as they focused on the passionate kiss.

Kanou growled as Mihashi took the dominant position, though he didn't really want him to stop. As uncharacteristic as it was at first, the normally shy boy towering over him now really was very aggressive when he wanted to be, at least when it came to things like this. It was very odd, but it turned the dark-haired boy on all the same. The first time they'd deliberately done this, Kanou was able to assert himself as the lead, but Mihashi learned _fast_. By the second time, he was already breaking through Kanou's dominance walls and laying him down.

Which he was doing now; Mihashi lowered their bodies to the floor slowly, his other hand joining the first and finally continuing the trek up Kanou's chest. One finger brushed against a nipple, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the boy beneath him and his body arched up a little, desperately pleading for more of the contact. The shorter boy was more than happy to comply, massaging both nipples between his index finger and thumb with each hand until they were hardened as their tongues engaged in a heated battle at the same time, causing them both to make small, guttural sounds of pleasure.

Kanou wasn't about to let Mihashi have all the fun; one hand remained wildly rubbing the boy's back while the other came up to run through his sandy brown hair, gripping it near the top of his head. He managed to separate their mouths, much to the shorter boy's immediate displeasure, and craned his neck to simultaneously lick at and bite his left earlobe, earning himself another sexy moan from his boyfriend. They'd been 'dating' for almost a month now; though they'd never actually gone out somewhere on a traditional date yet, they visited each other at least twice a week, usually at Mihashi's place.

The make-out session was interrupted by a shrill voice they both recognized to be Mihashi's mom. "Boys, dinner will be ready in a few minutes!" she called from below, sounding quite cheery and blissfully unaware of just what kind of activity the two were partaking in at that very moment.

Kanou released the other boy's earlobe, his breath tickling Mihashi's ear tauntingly. "I guess we should stop," he breathed, hesitating before pulling his head back to lay on the floor. He laughed inwardly at his madly flushed cheeks as the boy above him made a small noise of disapproval. Mihashi never had any inhibitions during their little escapades, but afterwards he always reverted back to his stuttery style of speech for a while. The dark-haired boy found it quite cute.

"Y-yeah," the sandy brunette agreed, moving off the taller boy to allow him to rise from the floor. He looked back at the TV screen as Kanou did so, too embarrassed to so much as look at the other boy for some reason. He noticed this and reclined with his hands on the floor behind him as he raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, man, you don't have to feel embarrassed when we do that," Kanou said, trying to get the other boy to meet his eyes. Mihashi seemed conflicted with himself for some reason, his expression furrowed into a slight frown. It made the dark-haired boy a bit nervous; had he accidentally done something he shouldn't have?

"S-Shuu..." he started, catching the other boy off guard. "W-when we do this... it... i-it isn't wrong, is it?" Mihashi asked, his voice a little shaky. Kanou's eyes widened. That's what he was worried about? "I-I mean... most guys would d-do something like that with a g-girl..." he continued, looking down at his now-twiddling thumbs like he was embarrassed to even be asking the question at all. "Would p-people... resent us?"

Kanou sighed. This definitely wasn't something he figured the sandy-haired boy would worry about. "Ren, it's not wrong," he said, scooting himself closer to the addressed boy. "Do you not like it when we do things like that?"

Mihashi shook his head furiously. "N-n-no! It feels g-good, and I l-like it!" he protested vehemently, his face becoming redder. Kanou laughed.

"Good, because I do too. As long as we're okay with it, it's alright. You can't help who you like," he pointed out, sitting up straight now. "Other people will generally not care all that much. There'll always be those assholes who think that there's something sick about it and ridicule, but they have no idea what they're talking about. So no worries, okay?"

Thankfully, Mihashi seemed to understand it all and nodded several times in quick succession. But he still had that look on his face, that look that told you he still had something he wanted to say. So Kanou waited patiently until he worked up the courage to say it. "T-then... i-is it okay if I t-tell my mom? A-about us?" he asked quickly; he looked embarrassed again. "I f-feel bad for keeping it a secret, a-and I think I'd feel a lot b-better if I told her," he said, meeting Kanou's eyes again as if to show him he was completely serious.

Kanou was a bit taken aback at first, to be sure, but since they were serious about this relationship, it was only natural to tell your parents about it eventually. Besides, it was Mihashi's parent, so it was Mihashi's decision. _This is Mrs. Mihashi we're talking about; I'm sure she'll be totally accepting of it._ He put on a smile. "Well, I don't see why not," he responded amiably. His grin was replaced with a small frown when the other boy lit up, as if he was expecting a negatory answer. "What, you thought I'd ban you from telling your own mom?" Kanou mock-pouted, crossing his arms in a huff.

Mihashi shrugged his shoulders innocently. "I wasn't sure if you wanted others to know or not," he said simply, his cheeks returning to their normal pale shade.

It was Kanou's turn to shrug. "It doesn't matter much to me. If you're okay with it, then go right ahead," the dark-haired boy said, rolling his eyes affectionately at the way Mihashi smiled serenely and nodded his head three times, almost like a little kid who'd just been told he'd been ungrounded or something.

"Dinner tiiime~!"

They both looked up at the sound of her voice; she had sung the two words in a high pitch like a jubilant bird. Kanou chuckled at it, putting a hand over his mouth and bending forward slightly. "Your mom's funny," he managed to say when he was done.

Mihashi looked skyward. "She's _embarrassing_, that's what," he sighed before pushing himself to his feet. He held a hand down to the taller boy, half-smiling. "Coming?"

Kanou matched the sandy-haired boy's expression, taking his hand. Mihashi pulled him up with surprising force, lifting him to his feet in one swift motion. Their hands stayed together, Kanou interlacing their fingers and squeezing his hand gently before letting go. "Yeah. Come on, I can't wait to taste what she made. Your mom is such a good cook, way better than mine," the taller of the two spoke as they exited the room, the television and Playstation completely forgotten.

Mihashi giggled. "Yeah, she's pretty good. I think she made yakitori, actually," he said as they slipped into the bathroom nearest his room to wash their hands.

"Yum."

The pair had come up with a rather peculiar way to wash their hands. Whenever Kanou came to visits Mihashi or vice versa and stayed for dinner, they would scrub each other's hands. This time Mihashi went first, taking one of Kanou's hands with both of his own and going over it slowly, twisting it around and scrubbing lightly, sliding his fingers in between the other boy's to thoroughly soap it up. He did the same thing to his other hand, and Kanou his, in turn.

When they were done rinsing them off, in a rare moment of mischief, the sandy brunette smiled evilly and flicked some water at Kanou's face. The latter boy flinched and mock-glared at him before purposely wetting his already-dried hands. Despite Mihashi's efforts to dodge, the taller boy managed to wipe the hand on his face with a smirk of his own. They both laughed while Kanou dried his face off afterwards.

They weren't even down the stairs yet before their mouths started to water. The smell of chicken made stomachs growl and the two boys came downstairs as fast as possible so they could sit down and dig in. The kitchen table had three places set, each with three skewers of grilled chicken on a plate, a small bowl containing a few pickled vegetables to one side and a medium-sized bowl filled to the brim with rice on the other side.

Mrs. Mihashi had just been setting the last place when the two emerged from the staircase, faces contorted with subtle delight at the smell of it all. She smiled at them. "You boys look hungry," she observed, wiping her hands on her apron before taking it off and hanging it on the wall behind her. "Let's eat! ...oh, hold on a second, I forgot our chopsticks! And our drinks! Oh dear, how dreadful. You two sit, and I'll have things ready in a jiff!" she sang as she scuttled around the kitchen once more.

Mihashi and Kanou did as they were bidden and sat down next to each other. While his mother was busy doing other things, the sandy brunette leaned close to his boyfriend to whisper in his ear. "Shuu, I'm going to tell her now," he muttered, sounding pretty determined.

Kanou turned to look at Mihashi for a moment before nodding, knowing exactly what he was talking about. "Alright." _Dinner, huh? I guess that would be the ideal place to explain. Casual and calm..._ The dark-haired boy took Mihashi's right hand into his own and placed the result on the table between them, in plain sight. The smaller boy knew his mom best, so he would just leave this to him.

The cheery woman came back with three glasses of tea and three sets of chopsticks, setting one of each down in front of everyone. If she noticed her son and his good friend's hands locked together, she didn't show any sign of it. "Okay, now let's eat!" she chirped, clapping her hands together softy as she sat down.

"Thanks for the food," the all said simultaneously, and Mrs. Mihashi began to eat. The boys looked at each other, Kanou shrugging and Mihashi mentally sighing. They each waited almost half a minute, waiting patiently for her to notice and say something, but she seemed to be off in her own little world somehow, eating slowly and not really paying attention to them.

Finally, Mihashi cleared his throat. The woman sitting across from them looked up at them, her eyes skipping over their intertwined hands and stopping on her son's face. "What's wrong?" she asked blankly. "Is your chicken too cold?"

Mihashi shook his head. "N-no, Mom, the food is fine," he said, shifting in his seat a little. He moved their hands around a bit on the table, causing her to glance at them for the first time. Her expression didn't change, as far as Kanou could tell.

"Then what is it?"

Mihashi swallowed, preparing himself to explain the situation to her clearly and without stutters to convey his seriousness. Kanou squeezed his hand ever-so-lightly in attempt to calm and encourage the boy. He took a deep breath. "Mom..." he started, hesitating a moment before forcing himself to continue, squeezing Kanou's hand back. "Shuugo and I are dating."

Time seemed to slow down after he said it, as both teens looked at Mrs. Mihashi with set, serious faces as she just seemed to stare back blankly, indefinitely. And for a second, Kanou was terrified that maybe, just maybe, Mrs. Mihashi wouldn't condone this at all, that she might be _disgusted_ and shun her son and blame Kanou for 'corrupting him'. He didn't know if Mihashi could handle something like that; he didn't want to have to find out.

But to both boy's relief and shock, she smiled wider than she had all night. "Really? Oh, Ren, that's _wonderful!_" she cried, clapping her hands together and her eyes sparkled. "For how long?"

Mihashi looked at Kanou now, trying to decide if telling her that he'd kept it from her for so long was a good idea or not. Kanou just half-smiled at him, figuring he'd take it from here. "Almost a month, ma'am," he answered, looking back at the elder sandy brunette now.

And in fact, she didn't look mad or even hurt at all, instead a thoughtful look gracing her features. "Nearly a month... Yes, that sounds about right," she said, confusing the couple. Kanou raised his eyebrow. What exactly did she mean by that?

The smaller boy beside him ended up voicing his thoughts in a less-than-intelligent way. "H-huh?" Mihashi stuttered, his conviction on no speech impediments dissolving.

Mrs. Mihashi just laughed. "Oh, honey," she giggled, "I had a feeling something was going on. Around a month ago you two started to hang out a lot more, almost overnight. Plus, the way you look at each other," she said, amused at the way the two boys flinched in surprise as she spoke. "With that little twinkle in your eyes! Though I contented myself with coming to the conclusion that you two were just very close, caring friends."

Sandy and dark hair alike were silent and flushed, embarrassed at how easily they'd been read. "...Are we really that obvious?" Kanou eventually asked, suddenly paranoid that everyone was able to see right through them.

She giggled again. "I just have an eye for these things, dear," she winked at him, resuming the eating of her meal. "I just want to know why you kept it from me for so long! And start eating, boys, your chicken will get cold."

Kanou complied, squeezing Mihashi's hand a final time before disconnecting them, picking up his chopsticks to finally taste some of the meal, which still smelled amazing. The brunette did the same, answering his mother's question concurrently. "Just never got around to it, I guess..." he said, sliding a piece of chicken off his first skewer and plopping it into his mouth.

His mother smiled and nodded, chewing and swallowing some rice. "Yes, yes, I'm sure."

Kanou took his first bite of chicken. As soon as he put it in, his taste buds seemed to dance and cheer as he chewed. His face relaxed as his eyes rolled back into his head in ecstasy. "That is absolutely delicious," he sighed contentedly, immediately going for another piece.

"Aw, thank you," Mrs. Mihashi said, touched by the teen's words. "I'm glad you like it!"

They all ate without another word for a minute afterwards, everyone enjoying the simple meal. Kanou sipped some of his tea before he spoke again, clearing his throat beforehand.

"If you don't mind, Mrs. Mihashi..." he started, stilling his hands for a moment as he talked. "...Could you not talk to my parents about this?" he asked, ignoring the look Mihashi gave him. "I just think it'd be better if I told them myself, you know?"

She nodded understandingly. "Of course, dear. I wouldn't have it any other way!" she exclaimed, wiping her lips with a napkin before starting on her second skewer of chicken.

Kanou smiled. "Thanks," he said, eating some of his rice next. _Mrs. Mihashi is so nice and easy to talk to._

Without much further conversation, all three finished their meal. Mihashi was done first, but naturally he waited for Kanou to finish his food before heading back upstairs. Mrs. Mihashi had cleared both her son's and her own places and was now washing their dishes, humming a happy little tune. Her face lit up as she thought of something. "Oh, Shuugo," she called over the sound of running water.

Kanou looked up, having only one last bite to go before he was finished eating. "Ma'am?"

"If you'll wait until I'm done with these dishes, I'll show you some pictures of Ren when he was really little!"

Mihashi, who still sat next to the dark-haired boy, jumped and prepared to protest, but Kanou put a hand over his mouth. "Oh, yes ma'am, that sounds like fun," he said, smirking at the sandy brunette who was now scarlet with embarrassment.

He managed to pull Kanou's hand off his face as the latter plopped the last pickled vegetable he had into his mouth. "_Mom,_" he whined childishly, extending the vowel sound well past it's proper length. "Why do you have to show those to everyone?" He very clearly remembered a few months ago, on his birthday when the whole team was over at his house, she showed everyone the most embarrassing photos of his babyhood that she could possibly find. It was actually the first time he'd ever seen Abe laugh, to his chagrin.

"Oh, Ren, stop being such a baby," she chastised, adding a little more soap to her sponge. "They're just pictures!"

Kanou laughed as he walked over to Mrs. Mihashi to hand her his dishes. "Yeah, Ren, just pictures~" he snickered as he threw his used chopsticks away. The sandy brunette just glared at him.

True to her word, ten minutes later, they all sat on the ivory couch in the living room, Kanou sitting between the two Mihashis. On his right, Mrs. Mihashi held an old picture book, giggling and pointing out her favorites, while his boyfriend sat to his left, looking over every once in a while but just looking away, blushing and quietly complaining most of the time.

Mrs. Mihashi and Kanou simultaneously burst out laughing when she turned the page to reveal a blown-up picture of baby Mihashi in the bath tub, a big toothless grin on his face as he held a big yellow rubber duck in his hands and splashed sudsy water around happily. The sandy brunette looked over and immediately turned an ever darker shade of red. He groaned and buried his face in his hands, not understanding why everyone always laughed at that particular picture.

Once Kanou had managed to calm himself down reasonably, he rubbed Mihashi's back reassuringly. "Oh, c'mon man, that picture is too cute," he said, looking at it again and trying to hold back another bout of giggles. "It's like a baby's laughter, it's contagious!"

"Yes, exactly! You should be glad I show you off like this, Ren~" Mrs. Mihashi cooed, turning the page once again. When he heard Kanou cracking up once again, he took his hands away from his face just enough to look at what picture it could possibly be now.

"This is from his first birthday. He got the cake all over himself!" the sandy-haired mother laughed at the memory. Quick as a flash, Kanou grabbed Mihashi's closest hand and held it, trying and failing miserably to mask his amusement. He squeezed it in apology. "Why does this not surprise me," he joked, watching as Mrs. Mihashi turned the page yet again. The smaller boy huffed and looked away, rolling his eyes as they giggled and chuckled again at more embarrassing childhood pictures.

With Kanou holding his hand, though, Mihashi knew he wouldn't be able to stay mad for long.

—**e—n—d—c**—**h**—**a**—**p**—**t**—**e**—**r**—

_**A/N: Did you see what I did there, with the title? Yeah, laaame xD And I'm sorry if it was bad; this was my first time writing something like that...**_

_**So, about updates: probably aren't going to be any until at least the week after next. Reason being? AP Human Geography Exam. Yes, wonderful things they are.**_

_**Thanks for reading, and reviews make my day! Just click the little button below. :D See you next chapter~**_


	3. Third Base: Euphoria

_**A/N: **__**（• ◇ •**__**;;**__**）**__**Oh, dear. The time has come to see how good I actually am... Yikes! xD I kid, I kid. Hopefully you find it satisfactory; I did do my best on it, I swear! And also, this fic is now rated M, so it won't appear on the main list unless you change the ratings filter~**_

WARNING: Intense boy on boy action herein. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I don't own Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup!, I'm just a big fan.

—**s—t—a—r—t—c**—**h**—**a**—**p**—**t** —**e**—**r**—  
_Third Base: Euphoria_

One could almost hear the frustration in his steps as Kanou trudged through the snow along on the sidewalk, hands in his jacket pockets and face half-buried in the thick scarf he wore around his neck. His lips were bent into an unflattering frown and his eyes were uneasy and troubled. Normally he would've been in a better mood, a much better mood, but for some reason, fate had decided to throw him a curveball.

He inhaled deeply, savoring the way the crisp, cold air of the nighttime hours of a snowy November evening burned his nose and throat on the way down. No matter what, he would not bring anyone else down with him. He did his best to compose himself before he reached his destination, which he could now see from where he was.

The light above the front door was on and a few lights inside illuminated the large house, confirming the presence of life within. One of the lights happened to be the one in Mihashi's room, one the second floor. He smiled. A trip to the Mihashi home never failed to lift his spirits. He proceeded accordingly, his steps suddenly feeling much lighter than before. There was a little mat in front of the door, for people to wipe their shoes on and rid them of the packed on snow before entry. He did exactly that, ringing the doorbell ahead of time.

He was only kept waiting for all of about twenty seconds. Kanou could see a silhouette come rushing at the door, too clumsy to be Mrs. Mihashi and too short to be Mr. Mihashi. The shadow managed to stop itself before running right into the door and slid it open hastily. Two hazel eyes, slightly lighter than his own in color, stared back at him in surprise. "Shuu, you only mailed me like ten minutes ago. You were already in Saitama?" the sandy-brunette asked, ushering his boyfriend into the house and shutting the door quickly, unappreciative of the night's chilly breeze.

The taller boy took his jacket off and set it neatly on the floor, simultaneously kicking his shoes off next to the door. "Sure was," he said non-chalantly, unraveling his scarf and dropping it on top of the discarded coat. "I was getting some fresh air."

Mihashi saw right through the lie, but decided to go with it for the time being. "Because Gunma doesn't have any," he teased, walking back into the kitchen.

Kanou sighed. "Alright, fine. So I wanted to see you. Happy now?" he replied, placing his hands in his pockets and following right behind him. It was more or less the truth. The bigger part of it, anyway; he hadn't seen the other boy in over a week, which was a surprisingly longer time than usual for the two. He'd missed him.

Mihashi turned around rather abruptly and gave him a quick peck on the cheek, smiling brightly when he pulled away. Kanou smiled in return. Thankfully, any inhibitions Mihashi may have had with their relationship had dissuaded after Mrs. Mihashi's nonchalance. "I missed you, too," he said, almost as if he'd read Kanou's mind.

After Mihashi turned back around to open the kitchen pantry, Kanou finally took notice of something rather obvious he'd at first overlooked. Other than the droning TV in the adjacent room, the house was uncharacteristically silent. He listened for a few more moments to be sure, and it only confirmed his suspicions. "Ren, you're the only one home?" he asked, though he had a feeling he was right before Mihashi even gave an affirmative nod.

"Yeah. Mom and Dad are both on business trips, so it's just me here for a couple of days," he said, grabbing a few plastic containers out of the pantry before closing it and heading over to the sink. "Ramen or yakisoba?"

"Yakisoba," the raven-haired boy answered absently. He made his way over to the couch in front of the TV in the other room, because that's where they would both end up anyway. Sitting down on the left side, his usual spot, he identified the channel being set on the Food channel, with interesting-looking foods being prepared by what Kanou assumed was a well-known, renowned chef. Good thing Mihashi was fixing dinner; he hadn't given much thought to how hungry he was, even though he'd gone the entire day without food.

He couldn't recall a time when he and Mihashi had been left alone in a house before. Every time the taller boy was over at his place or vice versa, at least one parent (usually their respective mothers) was present. The time they did get alone was achieved in the once every two or three weeks that they went out somewhere, whether to the movies for Kanou or to a casual baseball game for Mihashi, each followed by a nice dinner out somewhere (they always argued when it was time to pay, and every time they split the bill evenly). Not that he didn't want to be alone with the sandy-brunette; right now he could think of nothing more desirable. He was just unsure. If they ended up together in a moment of intimacy, which they most likely would, what was to keep them from going all out? Would he even _want_ to stop?

His thoughts were interrupted by the object of his affection plopping himself down right next to him, handing him his steaming hot meal. "Dinner is served," he smiled and Kanou took it with a small thanks.

"Thanks for the meal," they both said. Leaning back, Mihashi took his first bite of ramen, slurping loudly. Kanou grimaced, readying his own bite gingerly. When it came to eating, his boyfriend had next to no manners at all.

"You can change it if you want," Mihashi said, referring to the TV channel through his mouthful, though it was already almost entirely down his throat.

Kanou chewed the food he'd placed in his mouth thoroughly and swallowed before answering. "Nah, it's fine. Kinda fitting, anyway," he grinned, taking another bite as the shorter boy next to him practically shoveled food into his mouth, smacking notoriously. It was quite a turn off, actually.

...But everything else was a turn _on_. From the way Mihashi gasped at the things he saw being prepared on the TV to the ever-so-slight sway of his hips as he took their empty containers to the trash can, Kanou felt his face heat up, suddenly unable to bear how innocently cute he was. He was hyperaware of the fact that they were alone, which only served to make him restless. He knew Mihashi well; this might be their only chance for a long while like this, and the sandy-brunette would take advantage of it somehow.

As if on cue, Mihashi decided to not sit back down once he'd returned from the kitchen. "Hey, Shuu, wanna come up to my room?" he asked, though they both knew he was already aware of the answer. It was only a matter of politeness. Kanou mhmm'd in agreement before rising from his spot and turning the TV off, following the other boy up the stairs.

Right before they reached his room, however, Kanou slipped into the bathroom. "Ren, I gotta pee," he informed, smirking when Mihashi stopped, presumably rolled his eyes and said something about that's just _delightful_, thanks for letting me know. He pulled his head inside the room and closed the door.

The first thing he did was examine himself in the mirror. Nothing looked out of the ordinary, at least at first glance; his hair was the same, his face was the same, the way he stood was the same, his immediate demeanor was the same. However, the perceptive onlooker would note the dark circles beginning to form under the boy's eyes and his eyes lacking their usual brightness. He blinked a couple of times in a futile attempt to help.

Sighing, he waved it off after another moment of staring. He wasn't here to worry about himself. He lifted the toilet seat and unzipped his pants. As the tinkling began, he idly let his mind wander. There was nothing wrong with it, was there? It's not like it was something you could consciously control. He wasn't the one that needed to feel ashamed or guilty. So why did he feel so rotten now? Things would get better...hopefully. No. They _would_, dammit. They would.

As the initial flushing sound resonated throughout the room, he took a deep breath as he zipped his fly back up. Calm down. Forget everything else and just calm down. He splashed his face with water as he washed his hands, the cold sensation sending a rush of energy throughout his body. Hastily patted dry with the hand towel, he exited the room and with a few strides entered Mihashi's room, the boy having left the door open.

As soon as he entered, it began. Mihashi surprise-tackled him with a hug, and even though the dark-haired boy had been expecting it, it still managed to cause him to stumble back a few paces. They fell onto his surprisingly-made bed, Kanou lying flat on his back and Mihashi nuzzling his neck affectionately.

Kanou chuckled and wrapped his arms around the smaller boy. "You don't waste much time, do you?" he teased, ruffling his sandy hair.

Mihashi lifted his head up, grinning mischievously. "Not really," he said before lightly connecting their lips.

The first few kisses were simple and innocent, lacking any tongue action. But they both soon tired of this. Kanou gently prodded at Mihashi's mouth, requesting entry, and the sandy brunette was more than happy to oblige, parting his lips almost instantly. Their tongues danced, nuzzling and exploring, hitting all the right places; they were practiced at this.

Their hands didn't just sit by and do nothing, either. Each of them trailed their fingers around on bare skin up under shirts furiously, wanting and needing to touch as much of the other as physically possible. Mihashi wore a button-up shirt (how _convenient_) and Kanou wasted no time in getting the barrier off, throwing the clothing item away in a random direction, allowing him full access to his boyfriend's slight, pale torso. His skin was so _smooth_, more so than most boy's would have been, and it felt amazing to his calloused hands as they swept to and fro, taking it all in.

Suddenly Mihashi pressed himself up against the dark-haired boy, his tongue taking dominance and rubbing itself across the top of the other's mouth slowly. Kanou's body shuddered with pleasure and he moaned, unafraid of the noise now that they were truly alone. The taller boy's hands made their was quickly up to Mihashi's nipples and eagerly rubbed them, earning himself a small moan in return. The sandy haired boy on top followed his lead, and after a few heated moments both their nipples were rock hard.

Kanou's digits drifted down to the other boy's navel. There they hesitated, to both their dislike. Mihashi made a small noise of frustration, effectively breaking the kiss, missing the sensation of his fingertips brushing across his skin but even more troubled by the now-noticeable bulge in his pants. Kanou did not move.

"Ren," he said, feeling it unnecessary to elaborate.

"More," the sandy brunette answered breathlessly, his face totally flushed and practically begging for his touch. Kanou was more than happy to comply.

First, he sent a thumb over the bulge, causing the boy above him to shudder, moan, and very nearly fall down on top of him. Kanou chuckled, the sound coming out huskier than usual.

"I think we need a position change," he said, gently sliding out from under Mihashi and getting on his hands and knees right behind him, so that they both were in the same position. He grabbed the bulge again from behind, with a squeeze; the sexy breath hitch that followed goaded him on even more. He unzipped the boy's pants as fast as he could and stroked the smaller boy's erection through the fabric of his dark green boxers. Another shaky intake of breath.

He stroked again. And again. His boyfriend practically panted with want, throwing his head back in approval. Finally, Kanou could wait no longer. He used both his hands to yank down his pants, boxers and all, to reveal the boy's throbbing cock for the first time in their relationship. His eyes couldn't help but widen as he leaned over a bit to take a curious look at it. _He's bigger than me!_

But he wasted no time. He gripped Mihashi firmly with one hand, and squeezed once again. Feeling the boy tense beneath him, he momentarily wondered if he was going too fast before the sandy-haired boy hissed.

"Again," he commanded breathlessly.

So Kanou squeezed again. More tensing, but he knew now that this was a good sign. He squeezed once more before beginning to slide his hand up and down, up and down, slowly pumping. Mihashi moaned his approval quite loudly. Every now and then he'd clench his fist, his pace slowly increasing in speed. After a few moments of this, the smaller boy began to buck his hips, thrusting himself into Kanou's hand, his instincts taking over. It was a bit awkward and ill-timed at first, with their rhythms not syncing up very well, but it did not take them long to adjust. Soon enough, Mihashi would thrust just as Kanou's hand slid back down his shaft, resulting in voluptuous moans from them both. Kanou leaned forward as far as he could, pressing his lips to the back of the other's neck affectionately as he proceeded with his handjob.

Soon after, the dark-haired boy could tell that Mihashi was close to his climax, with the way his cock had become all sticky and covered with precum. He upped his speed, his arm tiring from the constant motion of the past few minutes and his breathing deep as a result of exertion. His unoccupied hand reached down and fondled one of the sandy brunette's balls, causing his lover to pant even harder. Kanou found this extremely sexy and suddenly became aware of his own pants being uncomfortably tight.

"S-Shuu, I- _Aah_, so..." Mihashi managed to gasp. "S-so good..."

His voice... Kanou was sure he might die right there, Mihashi's voice had been so damn _erotic_. With a final squeeze and thrust combo, the smaller boy threw his head back and yelled his boyfriend's name so loudly, Kanou honestly thought the neighbors might have heard. The image would be forever burned into his mind, how Mihashi's torso arched and his face was contorted into the most intense of ecstasies as he rode out his orgasm as long as he could before he collapsed onto the now-soiled bedsheets, Kanou _FLUMP_ing down beside him unceremoniously. His arm burned and his back felt funny from hunching over like that, but it had all been more than worth it.

After a few minutes of just laying there, trying to compose themselves and Mihashi attempting to make his head stop spinning, the sandy brunette finally spoke, his voice still not quite back to normal and sounding a little breathless. "That was..._amazing_."

Kanou turned his head on the pillow to face him. He grinned. "Yeah, it was," he agreed, his chest rising and falling steadily once again.

Suddenly, Mihashi felt guilty. _He did all that for me, but what did I do for him?_ His eyes wandered down to the taller boy's groin, and sure enough, there was a bulge down there. No mistaking it. Something like this hadn't even occurred to him until that moment; there was no way he could just stop now and leave Kanou in such a state.

Determined, Mihashi abruptly sat up. Kanou, who had closed his eyes, reopened them and gazed up at the sandy-haired boy curiously, but said nothing. He then straddled him, planting a swift kiss on his lips before sitting up straight again. The dark-haired boy didn't seem particularly displeased, for he smiled back up at him pleasantly. Mihashi smiled in return before sliding himself down, off the taller boy and closer to his destination. He did not bother with foreplay; he made quick work of Kanou's pants and boxers, pulling them down in one movement. He noticed (with an inwardly devious smirk, mind you) that Kanou, while formidable, was not as big as he himself was.

This visibly shocked the other boy. "R-Ren?" he gasped, not at all expecting something like this even though he'd done something very similar not five minutes prior.

Mihashi did not reply. Instead, he locked eyes with Kanou, slowly lowering his head as he did so. The raven-haired boy's eyebrow was raised for a moment before he realized what exactly his boyfriend was up to. His eyes almost doubled in size. "Ren, what are you...?" he trailed off, losing himself in the other boy's stare.

Again, no audible response. Instead, Mihashi closed the distance between them, taking the tip of Kanou's erection into his mouth. The shaky gasp that followed was like music to his ears. The sandy brunette paused for a moment, to get his bearings; having Kanou's cock in his mouth was a little weird, this being his first time delivering a blowjob, but it was definitely something he knew he could get used to. And as long as his boyfriend enjoyed it, well, that was what mattered the most.

"D-_dude_..." Kanou muttered, his eyes closed, appearing to be lost in the sensation.

It was hard, but Mihashi managed to fight back a grin as he slowly pressed on, taking a little more of the dark-haired boy into his mouth at a time. Kanou kept making these little noises, these cute little noises that pushed him further, pleading him not to stop, whatever the case may be. It took every ounce of the taller boy's self-control to keep his pelvis from thrusting himself into the other boy's mouth all at once. He was also pretty damn sure he wouldn't last very long.

After a minute, Mihashi managed to get most of Kanou into his mouth. Now he let his tongue explore a little bit. It started right around the middle, going up almost all the way, swirling around a bit, then plunging back down to the bottom. It traversed the circumference of the base of his shaft before slowly trailing up again, purposely teasing. Kanou's whole body was positively shaking with pleasure, his head tilted back and moaning. "Holy- H-holy shit..."

His tongue made it up to the tip; it slithered over it coyly, catching some precum as it flicked over the slit in the head. Trying not to giggle at yet another moan escaping the raven-haired boy's mouth, he contemplated the taste. It was kind of salty, and it felt weird and smooth yet sticky at the same time in his mouth, but he didn't mind it so much. He decided he would try swallowing.

But for now, he just had to get him to his climax. _That shouldn't he hard; he looks fit to burst as it is._ Mihashi felt happy. The fact that he was able to make Kanou feel so good made him feel good, too. Like he was important. The way the boy below him now had handled him earlier was probably one of the best feelings in the entire world. He felt truly lucky to have met Kanou.

_Probably not the best time to reminisce, while you're sucking someone off._ He refocused his attention to the task at hand. While he had been thinking, Kanou had uttered a disapproving hiss, though he was not really mad. Mihashi didn't resume his tongue action, however, at least not at first. Instead, he started to suck, moving his head up and down slowly as he did so. His hands finally found something else to do, too; they ghosted up and down the inside his boyfriend's thighs, almost like a tickle. Kanou's hands clenched the bedsheets in his hands tightly, eyes shut tight and panting as his body tensed.

"Ren, I-" he paused here, catching his breath as best as he could. "I-I'm close."

Up until this point, Kanou's eyes had been constantly shut. He wasn't sure whether it would be better with them opened or closed, and it was just easier to keep them closed. But now, near the end of his run, he was curious. So he opened his eyes. His breath caught in his throat.

From where he was, all he could see was his sandy brunette lover, hunched over and head low, bobbing up and down at a steady rate with his eyes closed and brows pulled together with effort. For some reason, it was like Mihashi knew his eyes had opened, for the boy's own opened then, looking up at him. Those eyes, oh my God, _those eyes_. They blazed with a fiery passion one can only dream and fantasize about, stared down straight into his soul and took any breath he'd still possessed (which wasn't much) and threw it right out the window. Kanou felt a strange emotion. Love, yes, exhilaration, yes, animalistic need, possibly. But there was something else. Like, if some kind of trillion-volt lightning bolt were to come shooting out of the sky and plunge right through his own chest, he would be fine. He could've died then, and not felt anything but _damn_ happy.

The mere sight of his boyfriend sucking his dick, erotic as it was, was enough to trigger his orgasm, and cum he did, with a strangled yell of passion emitted from his lips. What shocked him even more, though, was that Mihashi didn't pull away. Oh no, he practically gulped his secretions down like a milkshake, though there was still the little bit that leaked out of his mouth and dribbled down his chin. He took his mouth off of Kanou's now-limp member and simply wiped his face off on the back of his hand before crawling back up to lay beside him, putting one arm over his chest and lying his head on the other boy's shoulder. There they both stayed for a while, each of them immensely pleased and content to just be together for the moment, enjoying the afterglow.

"Did I do okay?"

The question was rather out of the blue, but Kanou did not hesitate delivering his answer. He shifted, leaned over the smaller boy and tenderly kissed him once more. He could taste himself off Mihashi's lips; salty. After a few seconds he pulled back again, a serene smile on his face. "You were _brilliant_."

Mihashi smiled too, that goofy, still-slightly-awkward-but-making-progress smile of his that Kanou loved so dearly. "Good."

Neither of them said anything else for a minute, still on that natural high one has after doing such naughty things. Then, Mihashi remembered something. He pressed himself closer to his raven-haired boyfriend and looked up at him, his expression neutral. "So then, what's wrong?"

Kanou flinched at his words, but immediately tried to downplay his reaction with a confused look. "What do you mean?" he asked; Mihashi wasn't sure, but he was fairly certain he was trying to avoid the subject.

The smaller boy sat up, looking down at Kanou sternly. "What do you mean what do I mean? You know what I'm talking about."

The dark-haired boy raised an eyebrow. "Do I?"

Mihashi rolled his eyes. "_Yes_, you do. You got here too fast. If you'd left Gunma as soon as or even a little bit before you mailed me, you would have been at least thirty-five minutes or so," he said, crossing his arms lightly across his chest. "You got here in ten. You must have already been in Saitama."

Kanou sat up now, using his height to his advantage. "What, is it a _crime_ to want to see my boyfriend?" he retorted, a little harsher than he'd meant to. "I was going to surprise you, but then I thought better of it."

Mihashi blinked once. "That's a damn lie and you know it."

Kanou froze. Mihashi only ever used profanities when he was either upset or angry. He'd upset him? Oh, great. Now he felt bad, even worse than before. The taller boy opened his mouth to argue, but not a sound came out. He knew Mihashi was right, and he knew Mihashi knew he was right. It was a waste of breath to contest that. He sighed. "I was just...out for some fresh air. That's all."

"Again, because the air in Gunma is so terrible," the sandy brunette scoffed. Kanou's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. Mihashi's gaze softened; he put a hand over the other boy's, gripping it and squeezing gently. "But I know you. 'Getting fresh air'... That's really just a facade, an excuse. The only time you go out at night to walk is when something's going on at home, and you need to get away. And if you're as far out as Saitama..." he trailed off, noting how Kanou's eyes had widened. He knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Something big must be going down." He laid his head sideways on the taller boy's shoulder. "Tell me?"

The other boy seemed to be deep in thought. "...it's nothing," he finally decided to say. "Really. I... It's nothing."

This didn't satisfy Mihashi in the least. "Shuugo, that's complete bullshit."

Again with the cursing! He knew he was really pushing it, but Kanou had no intention of dragging Mihashi down into his pit of problems. He tried once more to advert the topic. "I promise, I can handle it. I just need a little time."

The sandy-haired boy frowned. This was getting nowhere. Kanou should know that Mihashi would worry now, regardless of whether he told him what was wrong or not. But then again, should he be prying like this? Perhaps it'd be better if he just shut up and let the topic die. Nevertheless, Mihashi tried one last time, with a different approach. He wrapped both his arms around the taller boy's thin waist and hugged him lightly. "I can't help if I don't know what's going on, Shuu."

Damn. Mihashi was going to pull _that _card, huh? The try-to-make-you-feel-like-a-douche-and-spill-the-beans card. As much as he tried to fight it, he knew he'd lost the battle. Kanou took a deep breath. Mihashi didn't show it, but inside he was grinning like a fool, successful in his attempt at getting Kanou to confide in him. He waited patiently for whatever he planned to say.

"Well," he began, clearing his throat, looking away slightly. "I told my parents. About us."

At first, Mihashi was stunned, jubilantly so. Kanou'd finally told his parents? They'd been going out for nearly four months now; it was about time! He must feel so much better now, like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, akin to the way he felt when he came out to his own parents. But then he remembered that Kanou was upset over this. Why in the world would he be-

Oh God.

"I sat them both down in our living room and told 'em," he continued, his gaze turning wistful. "I... I mean, I didn't expect them to be as accepting as your parents, but _Christ_," he looked down now, frowning at the memory. "My mom started bawling about how now she'd never have any grandchildren. And my dad... I've never seen him so surprised and angry in my life. I knew he didn't much care for gay people, but to be so homophobic... He probably yelled at me for a good hour or so. How he couldn't believe his own son would betray him like this, how he couldn't even begin to imagine where he'd gone wrong. Eventually my mom calmed herself down and tried to do the same with him. She told me I'd better leave, and I was more than happy to oblige. I... I _cried_, dammit. I _cried_! Why? Why the hell should _I_ feel bad? I didn't do anything wrong!"

Kanou looked ready to cry right there. If Mihashi's jaw could have dropped to the floor, it would have. He just couldn't believe it; he never would have expected something like this in a million years. Kanou's parents were kind enough, seemed to treat Kanou as they should've, and they were even friends with his own. Why would they make their own son feel so horrible about himself? Mihashi hugged harder, on the verge of tears himself.

"When I came back, he was gone, in bed, I guess. My mom apologized for herself and Dad, telling me to just give him some time. Alright, that was fair enough. But..." he paused here, rubbing his face with his hands. The raven-haired boy suddenly looked exhausted. "I can't do it. Every time I see him, even just to pass him to get to another room or something, he gives me that _look_. He's repulsed by me. I can feel the animosity coming off him in waves. At dinner, he won't eat in the same room. He won't meet my eyes. I can't sleep at night anymore, knowing he's there and ashamed of me."

Mihashi suddenly felt horrified. He jerked himself away from Kanou quickly, causing the boy to look at him quizzically. His expression must've matched his feelings, because he provoked a response as well. "Hmm?"

"I-I..." Mihashi stuttered. It was true that Kanou hadn't told him, but still, they had just..._done things_. And those very things were the base of the dark-haired boy's problem! Somehow, Mihashi didn't exactly deem that as appropriate. "I'm sorry..." he nearly whispered, lowering his head.

Apparently Kanou couldn't read minds. "What for?"

"W-well, we just... I didn't... It was kinda.. You must be..." Mihashi's motor skills had been drained, reverting back to his stuttery self temporarily.

But Kanou had known the sandy brunette long enough to he able to translate his abhorrent stutters. His eyes widened. "Oh no, Ren, it's not like that at all!" he exclaimed, grabbing his hand again. "Just because he's ashamed doesn't mean I'm ashamed. In fact, I'm _proud_. And if I hadn't wanted to do what we did tonight, I wouldn't have." A kiss on the head from the taller boy. "So don't worry. Actually, I was acting like a wimp, huh? I should know better than to linger on such stupid stuff," he laughed at himself, genuinely; maybe telling Mihashi really had made him feel better about this.

Mihashi wasn't so easily reassured, but he decided to smile too. There wasn't anything they could do about it right now, anyway. He leaned back onto his boyfriend affectionately. "I suppose. I'm glad you told me, though," he said, staring at nothing in particular. He pushed his fingers in-between Kanou's and squeezed. "You can talk to me about anything, you know."

Kanou chuckled, reaching his free hand up to ruffle that sandy brown hair gently. "Yeah, I know. Sorry for trying to keeping it from you," he said. "I just didn't want you to worry over me."

"Shuu, I want to worry over you."

The dark-haired boy stopped. The previous statement had come out definitively, like a little kid answering his teacher's question with a thousand percent certainty. They both were silent for a moment before Kanou chuckled, not bothering to say much else.

It was getting pretty late; a glance at Mihashi's bedside alarm clock showed the hour. "Half past ten already?" the smaller boy commented, stretching his back out a little. "Could've sworn it was five 'till nine a few minutes ago."

"They say time flies when you're having _fun_," Kanou said slyly, the innuendo obvious. Mihashi laughed.

"Guess so."

They sat there for a minute. "Hey, Ren," Kanou began, scratching the back of his neck. "Would it be okay if I spent the night? My mom'll understand."

Mihashi punched his shoulder. "You really had to ask? Of course you can," he replied, a reprimanding little frown on his face. "We've got plenty of futons."

"_Ha ha_," Kanou fake-laughed. He and Mihashi had slept in the same bed on multiple occasions before, often because his own parents didn't have any futons. Mrs. Mihashi probably would've had a heart-attack if she found them sleeping together, though, so they didn't dare try at his house.

Suddenly, Mihashi jumped up. "Oh, man!" he said, landing on the floor with a _THUD_ (on his feet, no less. Practice must've been helping his clumsiness too). "I gotta clean these before they stain!"

Oh. Right. Kanou looked down. He was sitting right on it, too. Nice. He slowly made his way off the bed and pulled his now-dirty pants off his legs, leaving him in just his green-and-orange plaid boxers. "These too, while we're at it."

Mihashi pulled the bedsheets off expertly, bunching them up in his arms. He swiped Kanou's pants from his hands and scampered off to the laundry room. "Get the shower ready!" he called back to Kanou.

The raven-haired boy stared after him for a second. Then he shook his head, smiling.

After Mihashi had everything washing, he came back up and the two showered (not _together_, they weren't ready for that just yet) and decided that it was high time to hit the hay. Mihashi had made the bed with spare sheets he kept in his closet and they both crawled in, Kanou on the left and his lover to the right.

"Goodnight, _Ren-ren_," the taller boy sniggered when he heard Mihashi huff in annoyance.

"Goodnight, Shuu_-chan_," was the response he got. The suffix did annoy him a bit, but not on the level 'Renren' did Mihashi. The only one allowed to call him that was (begrudgingly so) Ruri. Kanou was Ruri's neighbor, so it was only natural that he would pick up on the nickname.

"Sleep tight."

"Don't let the bedbugs bite!"

They both chuckled at Mihashi's silliness before settling in and closing their eyes. A few inches apart and connected by their entwined hands, the pair was fast asleep in no time.

—**e—n—d—c**—**h**—**a**—**p**—**t**—**e**—**r**—

_**A/N: Do they have to hold hands in every chapter? Yes. Yes they do.**_

_**Was it okay? Tell me the truth too; if it sucked, tell me it sucked! I need critique in order to better my writing, so feel free to do so! I feel like it was... kinda lacking somehow, but I don't actually know how. Weird, huh? I'm so paranoid... xD**_

_**Good or no, review, my darlings! They make my day. Until the end, see you~**_


	4. Home Run Finale: A Year Already!

_**A/N:**__**（＾◇＾）**__**Hey all! Welcome to the final chapter! Are you as excited as I am? I just can't believe I actually finished this fic. Finally. And one more thing: a big thank you to each and every one of you that's left me a review. Your words of kindness are the best reward you can give a writer (next to money of course, lol) and I appreciate it more that you know. I love you all very muchly :D**_

WARNING: Heavy BL abound. Though if you're this far into the fic then I don't suppose that's all that big a deal lol.

DISCLAIMER: Still don't own Ookiku Furikabutte/Big Windup!. I swear.

—**s—t—a—r—t—****c****—****h****—****a****—****p****—****t**** —****e****—****r****—**

_Home Run Finale: A year already?_

"Mihashi."

The sandy brunette looked up at the sound of his name, having just finished getting back into his normal clothing after practice. His hair had gotten a little longer, and it was still as messy as ever. As unbelievable as it sounds, Mihashi had gotten better about his stutter and it was only present during games or conversations with or involving the other half of their battery, Abe. He zipped his duffle bag up and slung it over his shoulder, facing his fellow team member fully now. "Tajima?"

The short cleanup hitter grinned at him. "So how've you been lately?" he asked, his casual tone not fooling Mihashi one bit. The taller of the two decided to just play along, though; Tajima would reveal his true motive eventually.

"Well, I've been okay... I guess," he said, closing his locker carefully and slipping the lock in. "What about you?"

Tajima placed his hands behind his head, yawning. "Oh, I've been fine." He glanced at Mihashi, who was currently staring at him with a curious expression, and laughed. "Okay, okay, I'll come out with it. What I meant to ask was, how are you and Kanou?"

Oh. Mihashi should've seen that one coming. Tajima had been the first person he'd told about him and Kanou on the team, and ever since he'd been as helpful a relationship advice-giver as any best friend. Though sometimes he could be a bit crude... ("Give me a detailed account of what you did, from what you said to how you licked him!") Either way, they hadn't really talked for awhile now, so this was probably a conversation long overdue. "Oh. We've been fine too."

Tajima nodded. "I thought so. But have you guys been..._great_?"

Mihashi looked at him funny. "Uh, yeah, I guess."

Tajima laughed again, his hands falling back to his sides. "I don't think you get it. Have you two, y'know...gone all the way?"

If Mihashi had any type of liquid in his mouth he would have spit it out in surprise. His jaw dropped as he looked at Tajima incredulously. "_Wha_—I don't...Wh-why is that any of your business?" he stuttered, his cheeks burning. Normally his reaction wouldn't have been so taken aback, but the fact of the matter was, they _hadn't_.

The freckled boy tutted. "Oh, Mihashi, it's not like we haven't talked about things like this before." His face fell into a serious position. "I'm just looking out for you. So I'd take that reaction as a no, yes?"

Mihashi's flustered silence only drove the point home.

Tajima stroked his chin. He hmm'd, staring up at the locker room's ceiling. He then looked at Mihashi again. "You don't feel like your relationship's lost it's passion and luster, do you?"

Mihashi would have laughed had he not been so embarrassed; the way Tajima had said it made it sound like he had called up some shady 'Dr. Love' character. "N-no! I mean, we still hand out like we always have, and we still... y'know, kiss, and stuff."

Tajima raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Really? And when was the last time you two kissed?"

Mihashi had become more confident about talking about this. "Two days ago," he stated bluntly, crossing his arms over his chest almost defiantly.

"And when was the last time you two went farther than that?"

The sandy brunette opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out of his mouth. When was the last time they'd gone farther than that? He thought back as far as he could, but the most recent memory of such sultry activities could only be found quite some time previously. "A... A month."

Tajima put a hand over his open mouth. "Oh dear. And how many times have you two seen each other in that span of time?"

Mihashi counted on his fingers. "Uhm... Fifteen or sixteen?"

The dark haired boy's eyes closed and he shook his head with a worried expression. "Oh my."

Mihashi's face did little to hide his own worry. He hadn't really thought about it much, but lately he and Kanou had been acting more like friends than romantic partners (well, besides the chaste kisses and all the hand-holding, anyway). He wasn't sure why. Had he done something wrong? Kanou never seemed dissatisfied around him or anything... but then again, Kanou was a professional at masking his own emotions for the sake of those around him, a talent Mihashi had never been able to pull off. Though Mihashi knew him well enough to see through most facades, what if he really _was_ upset at something?

But what would he be upset at? Mihashi had vowed to be the best boyfriend ever, and so far, or so he himself thought, he hadn't been all that bad. Kanou's dad had eventually come to terms with their relationship after Kanou had spent four days at the Mihashi place, and they'd reconciled. Thank _God_. But what if that wasn't the problem? He knew that Kanou was bisexual; his first few dates had been with girls, and he admitted that he had liked them (though it didn't even come _close_ to how he felt with Mihashi, or so he said). What if he'd found someone else, a girl, that he could date instead? Someone that he could kiss, hold hands and flirt with, even brag about in public without being criticized and shunned for it?

Mihashi didn't know he was on the verge of tears until Tajima's legit-worried face stared up into his sheepishly. "Hey—Mihashi. Hey, please don't cry, okay? I was only joking around, man, don't cry."

The sandy brunette just looked away hastily, wiping his eyes on his arm quickly. His shaky breathing wasn't so easily gotten rid of, however. "What if he found someone else?" he whispered. "A girl, someone he could be _proud_ of having all to himself?" He looked at Tajima desperately, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he now gripped his bag's strap. "How could I blame him?"

Tajima didn't reply right away. Instead, he took hold of each of the taller boy's shoulders and brought their faces close. His face was straight and serious and he spoke in a low, clear tone of voice. "He wouldn't. I may not know him like you do, but I've been around the guy enough to know that he genuinely cares about you, Mihashi." He paused, his grip on the other boy's shoulders lightening and his face turning apologetic. "I was only kidding, anyway. You should know not to take the shit I say seriously, y'know?"

Mihashi remained wordless for a moment before he suddenly laughed, a light, goofy sound that took Tajima aback so much he took half a step back. He continued laughing like that for several moments before it subsided into chuckles and he wiped his eyes again. "You know, you're right," he said, a hand on his neck. "He wouldn't do something like that. Oh, I feel like such an ass for even thinking like that..."

Both surprised and relieved at his friend's sudden recovery, Tajima wasted no time in relaying his theory to the other while he was still willing to listen. "Right. Anyway, I think the reason you two are at a standstill is because he's afraid of going too fast," he reasoned, folding his arms across his chest.

Mihashi raised an eyebrow at this suggestion. "Too fast? It's been a year already."

The shorter boy just nodded. "Yeah, I know. He's probably held off so long because he really cares, and he doesn't want to scare you away or something."

This idea made the sandy brunette blush. Could Kanou really worry that much over him? Touching as the notion was, it irritated him a little bit too. "...Well, I understand that. But I want to!"

Tajima grinned. "Then, you could tell him that." Then, he tapped his chin. "But, I think you can do even better..."

Mihashi tilted his head to the side. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about coming on to him yourself, of course!"

_-asdfjkl;-_

Mihashi sat on his couch nervously, twiddling his thumbs. Finally, his parents had gone out on a date night to celebrate their anniversary and made it clear that they weren't coming home until the next afternoon (Mihashi didn't want to think about _why_), leaving the house empty except for himself. This was the perfect opportunity for him to make his move on Kanou. He'd called the boy earlier and asked him nonchalantly to come over, which he had agreed to without a second thought. He'd made sure not to tell him about his plan; he figured a surprise would be better.

The sandy brunette was quite prepared for the occasion, having obtained lube and a very detailed tutorial on the matter from who else but Tajima, who was also in a homosexual relationship. If his mother had known that they were discussing that sort of thing instead of their homework up in his room when the cleanup hitter had come to visit, she probably would've had a heart attack; she may have supported her son's sexuality, but he was still her little boy.

He just hoped that Tajima had been right. What if it was that Kanou wasn't ready, and that by doing something like this, he would scare him away? But there was nothing for it now. Mihashi had his mind dead set on this—if it didn't happen, he would be most disappointed.

When the doorbell rang, he jumped out of his place on the while couch not from surprise or fear, but from anxiousness. He was at the front door in about ten seconds, opening said door and smiling at his boyfriend, who smiled back and held up the McDonald's bag in his hand triumphantly. His dark hair was more or less the same length as it had been, and he had gotten a bit taller. Looking down at him were those stunning hazel eyes that mesmerized him so often. "Brought dinner," he winked.

As the sandy brunette ushered him inside, he laughed. "Weren't in the mood for ramen today?" he joked playfully.

Kanou kicked his shoes off next to the door. "Sure wasn't. You really gotta watch your mom cook or something, Ren, I can't have a wife who makes ramen everyday," he teased, carrying the bag to the kitchen table.

Mihashi frowned at his back. "I'll have you know I can make sandwiches too. And who says I'm the wife?" he retorted, following behind him.

Kanou set the bag on the table and rummaged through it. "Because you're the uke," he stated simply, pulling two boxes out of the bag and placing them in either spot.

Mihashi pressed his lips into a thin line. Tajima had used that term too, describing it as 'the woman', or the submissive one. "Oh really? How so?" he asked, pulling two cokes out of the refrigerator.

Kanou laughed. "Well, let's see. You're girlier, you're generally more passive and you're shorter."

"Girlier?"

"Yes."

Mihashi rolled his eyes, sitting next to Kanou at the table and placing the cokes in front of each of them. "Whatever you say." _Don't worry; you'll show him._

Kanou just grinned, leaning in to catch the sandy brunette's lips in a chaste little kiss. "Thanks for the food*," he said, turning hungrily to his food now.

Mihashi smiled despite himself. "Indeed," he agreed before they both dug into their food.

Most of the meal was quiet, save for the constant munching of Big Mac and chicken sandwich. Kanou made fun of the amount of mayonnaise they'd put on Mihashi's sandwich when the sandy brunette ridiculed the Thousand Island dressing they ruin the Big Mac with, but other than that the two were content to just sit next to one another. The taller of the two ended up finishing Mihashi's fries for him, too, so they were both stuffed by the time they'd finished.

"I feel like I need to jog five miles just to work this meal off," Kanou said, a burp forcing it's way out of his stomach.

"I feel like I need a nap," Mihashi laughed, stuffing all the trash into the bag. "But just give me a few minutes and I'll be fine."

"I'm sure. Really makes you wonder how Americans can eat like that all the time, though."

"Because it's there and it's fast, I guess."

"Oh, true. That's why we eat ramen every time I come over."

"Wrong, we eat curry sometimes."

"Oh, right. My bad."

They both laughed. After Mihashi had successfully gotten rid of his bag of trash in the bigger bag of trash, otherwise known as the trash can, he decided to get on with it. "So, wanna go up to my room?"

Kanou raise an eyebrow. "Why?"

"So we can play Marvel v. Capcom 3, of course."

Kanou laughed. "Well that sounds delightful, but I don't know if I can make it up the stairs," he admitted, holding his stomach gingerly.

The sandy brunette smiled. "Then why don't we dance your stuffedness away?" he suggested, pulling Kanou out of his seat before he had a chance to object.

Kanou's head spun for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure and straightened himself. He wrapped his arm around Mihashi's waist, the sandy-haired boy placing a hand on Kanou's shoulder, and both of them linking hands to the side, getting ready to slow dance.

"You lead," Mihashi commands, and Kanou obeys without question.

They started to sway, Mihashi mirroring the dark-haired boy's footsteps gladly. The two slowly turned around in a circle until they came back to their original position, then deciding to move from side to side. Mihashi laid his head on his boyfriend's chest. He didn't really mind being the girl all that much; he enjoyed the feeling of Kanou's strong arm around his middle, gentle but firm. When the taller boy started to hum a small tune, he closed his eyes and fully relaxed into his hold. Mihashi could've stayed like that for hours, savoring the feel of the other's presence.

The sandy brunette accidentally steps on Kanou's foot, causing the boy to sharply inhale through his teeth. Mihashi's head shot away from it's place on his chest. "Ah, sorry," he lamented, looking up at him apologetically.

Kanou chuckled. "I just don't know if I can forgive you for that, Ren," he smirks evilly, not hesitating a bit in his movement.

Mihashi pouted. "Oh, please, Shuu, I'll do anything," he whines, doing his best impression of a puppy's eyes as he stared up at him.

Another chuckle. "Well, I guess I can cut you some slack..." he trailed off, leaning down to press his lips to the shorter boy's, who gladly returned the pressure. He unlocked their hands and wrapped his arms around Kanou's neck while said boy tilted his head up with his now-free hand. He slid his other hand down to grope Mihashi's ass, squeezing firmly. This caused the sandy-haired boy to moan, allowing Kanou's tongue entry. As they invaded each other's mouths, Mihashi grabbed a fistful of the taller boy's dark hair and tugged lightly, eliciting a similar sound from him.

After a few more seconds of this, they broke apart, each breathing a little faster than normal. Their excited eyes met silently for a moment before Mihashi grinned. "About ready for my room, then?"

Kanou looked thoughtful. "I dunno, let me think about that—_yes_," he replied, removing his arms from Mihashi's waist and smiling himself.

They both practically ran up the stairs, neither boy willing to wait longer than was absolutely necessary for this. Once safely inside Mihashi's room, the two were lip locked again. Normally, the sandy brunette would've let Kanou dominate for a while, but he was on a mission: prove to him that he himself was more than qualified to be a seme.

He shoved the raven-haired boy none too gently onto the bed, crawling on his hands and knees above him and very reminiscent of some kind of jungle cat. His tongue forced itself into Kanou's more than willing mouth, quickly winning the wrestling match that lasted all of about three seconds. Again he was running his fingers through Kanou's hair while hands gripped his backside in ways that made him emit little sounds of approval, each action fueled by a powerful and raw desire.

But in order to really get this going, Mihashi hastily pulled his shirt over his head, an action that Kanou copied, and both shirts were flung in random directions as both boys pressed their bodies together as much as they could, savoring the delicious friction. Mihashi's lips left his partner's and strayed down to his neck, where they nipped and sucked lightly, careful not to leave any noticeable hickeys. Leaving a small trail of saliva, he worked like this down his neck and chest until he reached a nipple, which he gave a playful lick.

Kanou moaned loudly, a sound that Mihashi had missed so dearly. "F-fuck, Ren," he breathed, his voice quivering with anticipation. He wrapped his arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

One of Mihashi's hands came down from Kanou's hair to rub one nipple while his mouth worked on the other. He bit and kneaded and suckled and pinched, all actions working wonders on Kanou's body. By the time Mihashi switched and caressed the other nipple with his tongue, Kanou's body quaked noticeably.

"Please, please, Ren, please," he kept mumbling, practically begging the boy above him to relieve him of his pent up desire. If Mihashi hadn't been so worked up, he'd have chuckled; Kanou must have missed this as much as he had.

So he sat up and fumbled with Kanou's denim shorts, managing to get the button undone and the zipper unzipped. Kanou wriggles out of them along with his boxers gladly, and the two were on the floor along with their shirts. Mihashi regarded Kanou's dick with a smirk. "Well well, looks like someone's excited to see me," he teased, letting his fingers ghost over the throbbing organ.

Kanou squirmed, his expression impatient. "Just get on with it!" he growled, grabbing one of the sandy brunette's hands and placing it on his erection himself.

Mihashi tutted. "Now now, no need to be rude," he chastised, shaking his head. Nevertheless, he began pumping him, much to Kanou's relief. It took a minute for the two to sync their paces, but once they had they were on a roll, Mihashi tightening his grip and increasing his pace as Kanou bucked wildly into his hand, not appearing to care about much else. Various whines and moans escaped his lips and his face was red from the heat the two were generating.

"Nngh, ah, I'm c-close," the dark-haired boy manages to force himself to speak as he closes in on his relief, his head pressed into the pillow and splaying his hair out in random places. Mihashi found it to be quite the turn on, though he already had quite an erection himself.

Upon hearing this, Mihashi stops his pumping and brings both hands down there to gently massage his shaft with his thumbs. Kanou's hips still move, intensifying the feeling threefold and making the taller boy gasp. Mihashi has to stifle a laugh. "Feel good?" he asks with a grin.

Kanou's beyond the point of being able to answer.

After a few last strokes, Kanou arches his back and makes his orgasm known to the world, his cock going limp as he comes all over Mihashi's hands. He collapsed back on the bed as the sandy brunette merely licks his hands clean. As he lays himself down on top of Kanou, they just lie there for a few minutes, regaining their respective composures.

"_God_, I missed that," Kanou chuckled, lightly pushing Mihashi off him so he could sit up again.

Mihashi leaned back, propping himself up with his arms. "Yeah, I could tell," he laughed, glad to recount the way Kanou had asked him 'please' a good ten times.

"Shut up," he retorted playfully. After the giggling ceased and he deemed it time, Kanou reached for Mihashi's still-present bulge, intending to do something about it. But Mihashi blocked him, and pushed him back down on his back. Kanou raised an eyebrow. "What are you doing?"

The sandy brunette said nothing, opting instead to reach for the drawer in his bedside table and let the item inside do the talking. Opening it, he pulled out a small container and closed it back. When Kanou caught sight of the label, his eyes widened exponentially.

"Oh, _Ren_," he murmured, completely taken aback by the lube in his boyfriend's hands. It was obvious he hadn't seen it coming. For the first time that night, Mihashi's cheeks reddened.

"Is this okay? I-I mean, if it isn't, I totally understand..." he trailed off, unable to help the one hiccup in his speech. Sure, he definitely wanted to prove himself a worthy top, but not if Kanou wasn't comfortable with it. It's much more enjoyable when both parties are willing. Or, so Mihashi supposed.

At first, Kanou's expression was unreadable. But after a moment he began to laugh. "Ren, you're such an _animal_!" he let his head fall back while he giggled. "Of course it's okay. I'm just... Oh, God, _yes_," he reassured him, meeting his eyes with an amused and excited little smile.

Any worries he might've had having been swatted away, he returned the expression. "Okay," he nodded, mentally prepping himself for this. He was actually going through with this. He had memorized all of Tajima's instructions and tips, so the only thing left was to actually get it on.

Mihashi began by removing his own trousers, slipping out of his khaki shorts and flinging them across the room along with his own boxers. He paused for a moment, noticing that they were both naked. Not that that was weird, but Mihashi was pretty sure they'd never both been completely naked at the same time. Close, but never fully.

He then straddled Kanou's hips. His dick brushed against Kanou's own, already half-hard again. The sandy brunette fought the urge to laugh. "Just your imagination turning you on already?" he teased, poking the boy's stomach.

"Yes. But I know you'll manage to surpass my imagination at least tenfold," he smirked, reaching his hands down to press their lengths together hotly. The two made sounds from deep within their throats, both loving the feeling.

"I'll do my best," Mihashi swore, holding a hand above his head before he removed the lube container's lid and set it to the side. He then took a couple of his fingers and raised them to Kanou's lips, who gladly took them into his care and started to suck. His tongue swirled around each of them, and he lightly bit their tips, smiling at the way Mihashi bit back guttural sounds of approval.

Once this was done, Mihashi removed his fingers and dipped them into the lube, covering them in the smooth substance. He transferred it to Kanou's entrance just as Tajima had explained, making sure to cover every millimeter of his virgin hole.

Kanou gasped, and Mihashi glanced up, freezing in his position. "What?" he asked, deathly afraid that he done something wrong.

"Nothing, it's just cold," he chuckled, relaxing again like he had been previously.

Mihashi let out a sigh of relief and smiled, resuming his previous actions. After a second or two of hesitation, the sandy brunette slid the first finger in.

Kanou gasped again, but it was a good gasp, the one that's music to your ears, the one that sends you into a frenzy trying to make it happen again. Mihashi waited a second before moving the finger around, exploring the area through touch. You can only learn so much through someone else, and Mihashi was curious enough to feel around, searching for 'that magical spot', as Tajima had put it.

After a minute had passed, Mihashi inserted the second finger. Kanou squirmed, not thoroughly enjoying the sensation yet. The shorter boy leaned down to peck his beloved on the lips, a sort of consolation. Slowly Mihashi worked his way around inside, very slowly beginning to scissor the boy below him in an honest effort to stretch him. As he progressed, the walls of his insides provided less and less resistance to the intrusion.

Kanou seemed to be anxious. He kept making these little noises, trying to egg the sandy brunette on. "Alright, Ren, I'm pretty sure I'm ready now, doesn't hurt anymore," he ushered, pushing some of his dark hair out of his face.

But Mihashi knew better than to listen. _If he says he's fine, don't take his word for it. Make sure you can get three fingers comfortably in; you don't want it to hurt more than it has to._ Tajima's words echoed clear in his mind as he continued to stretch him thoroughly, much to Kanou's dismay. He was finally able to separate his fingers a fair amount and rotate without much interference.

So Mihashi sent the third finger in. Another gasp from Kanou. Again he asked that Mihashi go on, insisted that he was fine, dammit, but again Mihashi ignored him, intending to do this correctly and ensure the satisfaction of the both of them.

Finally, a few moments later, the sandy brunette removes his fingers from Kanou's entrance, and the boy hypocritically whines his disapproval. Mihashi shakes his head at him, smiling, before consulting his lube once more and slathering the stuff all over his own dick just to be safe. As he lifts Kanou's legs and places them on either of his shoulders to clear his path, he simultaneously positions himself a few centimeters away from the ultimate destination.

Mihashi looked at Kanou, and when he saw lust-filled orbs staring back at him he couldn't resist a bit of foreplay. "Now then, what was I doing?"

Kanou deadpanned. "Ren, you know exactly what you were about to do. Hurry up, I can't take it anymore!"

Mihashi smirked at him evilly. "I really don't think I do. Tell me _precisely_ what you want me to do to you, Shuugo," he drawled, pressing the tip of his shaft ever-so-lightly to his entrance.

Kanou's body quivered and he let out a few colorful curses. "Aghh, dammit, Ren, _fuck_ _me_ already!" he cried, unable to wait any longer.

And if he was quite honest with himself, neither could Mihashi. He gladly reared back a bit and plunged into him, carefully calculating his immersion so as not to overwhelm the boy below him, who winced slightly but nevertheless more than happily took him in. Bit by bit Mihashi pushed himself farther and farther until he was all the way in. It made his mind whirl, how much he understood Tajima's way of describing what he was feeling now; it's not something you can explain, you just have to feel it for yourself. Kanou was so warm, so tight, so _incredible_. He had to take a moment to be completely still not just to allow Kanou to adjust, but also so he could comprehend just how good it felt already, and the fact that they'd hardly even started.

Kanou was feeling a similar emotion. Mihashi was just quite big, and to have him fully inside himself felt wonderful. A wee bit painful at first, but he knew that pain would be so outdone by the pleasure that it wouldn't even matter in the long run. He felt Mihashi stiffing above him, giving him time to acclimate.

After a moment, Kanou moved his hips experimentally signaling to Mihashi that he was ready. So Mihashi pulled almost all the way out for a moment before thrusting back in once. Kanou gasped, the movement delectable on many levels, and he nodded vigorously, desperate for more. Mihashi did it again as he was bidden, but this time didn't stop, instead setting a slow pace to follow at first. He wanted Kanou to feel good first; it took everything he had not to go wildly humping and pleasing himself.

After a few more of these, Mihashi inadvertently hit just the right spot, for Kanou's eyes practically bulged out of his head and he stiffened, his breath momentarily catching in his throat before he moaned loudly, wordlessly begging him to do it again. The sandy brunette decided to go a bit faster as they progressed, and carefully pulling out again, trying to remember that exact spot, he shoved in again, hitting his boyfriend's prostate dead on and coaxing another moan out of him. Faster and faster he thrust again and again in the same way, nudging that magical bundle of nerves in ways that had Kanou seeing stars and haphazardly bucking his hips in time with him, eager to meet his dick halfway.

As both boys' fervency escalated, the room seemed to rise in temperature with it. Kanou moaned and gasped, his hands stroking his own unbearable erection erratically as he struggled to keep his voice under control and failed miserably. Mihashi craned his neck to kiss the boy below him as he continued to dive in and out, working a single nipple between his thumb and forefinger as he did so. The sound of their skin slapping together as they met each other's movements between their combined grunts and pants only added to the heat of the moment.

At the rate they were going, as much as he wanted to, Mihashi knew he wasn't going to last. One couldn't really blame him, though; Kanou was just so amazingly tight and warm and _damn_ sexy when he arched his back and panted so hard like he was right now, small pink lips parted and tongue nearly falling out of his mouth as his pleasure senses were overloaded by the combination of Mihashi's dick up his ass and his hands pumping his own length quickly. It made him want to thrust even harder, so he did, aiming to finish off strong.

"You're so...hot when I'm...fucking you in the ass...I just-hngg, _Shuugo_!" the sandy brunette's head shot forward as he moaned his lover's name loud and proud, riding his orgasm out as long as he could before he fell back onto his own ass, effectively pulling himself out of Kanou, who was still jacking off. After a few well-timed sucks on Mihashi's part, the dark-haired boy threw his head back into the pillow to gasp out the other's name just a loudly. Once completely done, Mihashi just kind of fell down on top of Kanou, both completely spent and breathing deeply but still in ecstasy as a result of their most recent endeavors.

Mihashi was the first to speak, raising his head slightly to lay it sideways facing Kanou, whose eyes were still shut from his own orgy. "Well, that was nice," he breathed, catching Kanou's earlobe and nibbling gently.

Kanou stirred, his eyes opening halfway. "'Nice'? Ren, that was fucking _awesome_," he corrected, turning his head to kiss said boy affectionately. "Remind me again why we waited all this time to do that."

Mihashi grinned into Kanou's neck, nuzzling it cutely. "Because you never brought it up," he pointed out, tracing random patterns across his boyfriend's chest with his index finger.

Kanou shrugged. "I figured I'd let you decide when we'd take it farther. Because you're such an animal when we're alone, it's hard to believe you're my best friend from middle school. I'm surprised you even made it this long without doing it, actually," he chuckled, making his chest vibrate on Mihashi's cheek.

Mihashi huffed, sitting up and frowning at him. "I was waiting for you to say something!"

Kanou smiled sheepishly. "Then I guess that's a lack of communication on our part."

"Oh, shut it." After a few moments of mock-pouting, the sandy brunette collapses again, wrapping his arms around Kanou, who pulls him close. They're quiet for a while after that, and Mihashi starts to doze off.

"So when do I get a turn?"

Mihashi cracked an eye open. "A turn for what?"

"To fuck you, of course."

Mihashi laughed, closing the eye and not moving an inch otherwise. "Maybe in the morning, I'm too worn out to move right now," he reasoned, deciding to doze again.

Kanou yawned. "No fair," he teased, though he also made no move to get up or assert himself. "If I can even walk tomorrow, that is. Jesus, Ren, you couldn't have been a bit more gentle?"

"I got caught up in the moment."

"Imagine what my dad'll do when he sees me limp into the house tomorrow."

"He'll have a heart attack."

"Or a major stroke."

"Even better."

They both chuckled. "So who's the uke now?" Mihashi asked smugly, and Kanou could feel that triumphant smirk of his on his chest.

"Oh, come on, Ren, that was a sneak attack and therefore cheating," the dark-haired boy complained, laughing when Mihashi scoffed.

"All is fair in love and war, ass," he quoted smartly, and for once Kanou could not argue with him. After all, he'd enjoyed being the bottom. This time.

After a lull in the conversation, Kanou brought a hand to Mihashi's head and stroked his hair tenderly, smiling serenely. "Y'know, Ren, I really think you're the one," he commented out of the blue, causing the shorter boy's breath to catch in his throat. "I can't imagine not waking up everyday and knowing that you're all mine. Knowing that you're there and feeling the same way. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Ren. I want to share your laughter and joy and pain and sorrow and just be there, to support you and help you and hug you. It's overwhelming, but at the same time...I like it." The room subsided into silence. After a minute Kanou chuckled nervously. "Too soon? Too creepy?"

But Mihashi was far from creeped out. He was just stunned, overjoyed that Kanou felt that way, because that's how he himself felt. His lover had articulated it beautifully, and Mihashi wanted to cry tears of jubilance at the thought of Kanou being there with him forever. All he could do was tighten his hold on the dark-haired boy, who stiffened slightly in response. "Oh, Shuu," he managed, his voice shaky. His eyes glistened, threatening to overflow, but he bit them back as he regained the function of his vocal chords. "I just...you're so...exactly the...one for...just, yes. Everything you just said, right back atcha," he said, and they both chuckled at his suddenly non-existent vocabulary. He tilted his head up to face his partner, eyes half-lidded and containing so much emotion it was unreal. "_God_, I love you, Kanou Shuugo."

Kanou smiled and met his lips in a gentle kiss, simple and innocent, yet conveying just as much passion as the deepest tongue action could. "Just as I love you, Mihashi Ren," he murmured, rubbing his back lovingly.

The two of them fell asleep right there, bare bodies entangled in a sea of sheets, dreaming of the future, their future, and how wonderful it would surely be.

—e**—****n****—****d****—f—i—c—t—i —o—n—**

_**A/N: D'awwwww sweet ending is sweet. seme!Mihashi for the win, lol, but he's definitely a bit OOC. I like to imagine that he grows a lot more confident as time passes. And it's practically one thirty in the morning on July the eighth at the time of completion, four days before my previous guess. So there. This won't be posted for at least five days, though, because I won't have Internet access until then. Apologies!**_

*I'd just like to point something out. You might be thinking, "Hey, why is Kanou thanking Mihashi here? He brought the food himself!" Well, the Japanese traditionally say "Itadakimasu!" before they eat, a phrase that means "Thanks for the food!" I just don't fancy using Japanese words unless I absolutely have to, for fear of people not knowing what they mean. So yeah. Just thought I'd clear that up.

So was this a worthy ending? I sure hope it was, and that it did this underrated pairing justice. As always, reviews and critiques are more than welcome; tell me whatcha liked, didn't like, and things I can improve on. Until the next time we meet, ciao, and thanks so much for reading!


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